Francis P. Whitehair Bridge

29°00′32″N 81°22′56″W / 29.0088°N 81.3821°W / 29.0088; -81.3821Carries SR 44
(two general purpose lanes)CrossesSt. Johns RiverLocaleCrows Bluff, FloridaOfficial nameFrancis P. Whitehair BridgeMaintained byFlorida Department of TransportationID number110603CharacteristicsDesignDouble leaf bascule bridgeTotal length525 feet (160 m)Clearance below17 feet (5.2 m)HistoryOpenedSeptember 1955Location

The Francis P. Whitehair Bridge, also known as the Crows Bluff Bridge, was a double leaf bascule bridge located in Crows Bluff, Florida that carried State Road 44 over the St. Johns River. The original bridge on the site was constructed in 1917; replaced in 1955, and though it was previously expected to remain in service until the 2050s,^[1] a new version of the bridge opened in September of 2023.^[2]

History

The original Crows Bluff Bridge was a swing span bridge; constructed in 1917,^[3] in 1926 it became a free crossing.^[4] In 1954, a plan for construction of a replacement bridge was established;^[5] the new bridge, dedicated to DeLand resident Francis P. Whitehair, opened on September 22, 1955.^[6]

In the late 1980s and early 1990s the bridge was closed several times for repairs.^[7][8][9]

A 1993 truck accident damaged the bridge, requiring repairs to its guardrails.^[10] In 2006 a truck caused damage to the bridge's support beams in another accident;^[11] the damage was repaired within a week.^[12]

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